6 Horror Films That Would Make Great Video Games!

More often than not, video game movies tend to suck. Few have seen much success, and fewer still have managed to successfully capture what made the game it’s adapting to the big screen so great. Of the myriad video game movies we’ve reluctantly watched, hoping, as fans of a novel-turned-movie have done for ages now, that this time, it has to be good.

To me, Silent Hill has been the only movie that’s retained most of what made the games great. The atmosphere, visuals, overly complex story were all there. Hell, even some of the monsters, music and camera angles were taken straight out of the games. So today, we’re going to flip the script and look at six horror films that would make great games. Because for every bad video game adaptation we’ve seen, there’s about a dozen awful games based on movies.

Read on for six horror films that would make great video games!

Resident Evil

Yes, I know, Resident Evil already has a hugely successful film franchise (very) loosely based on it, and while I’ll fully admit that I’ve seen them all and enjoyed each to a certain degree, what we almost had would’ve been far better.

Originally, George A. Romero — the motherfucking godfather of the zombie genre — was the man who would direct the first Resident Evil movie. This was back in 1999, so it would’ve been around the time the third game, Nemesis, was scaring the pants off us. Romero wrote a screenplay that would follow the events in the original game, with Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine starring as the film’s leads, and Barry Burton, Rebecca Chambers, Ada Wong, and Albert Wesker playing smaller roles. Unfortunately, Capcom wasn’t happy with the script, so they fired him, and Paul W.S. Anderson took his place the following year.

I don’t mind Anderson’s first film, in fact, it’s my favorite of the five. But knowing we almost had a Resident Evil movie crafted by George. A. Romero makes me more than a little sad. This why I’m giving it a mention here, because I’d still very much like to see something along the lines of what they originally had planned, after Milla Jovovich is done blowing shit up in the next flick, of course.

Poltergeist

I can’t believe we haven’t seen a Poltergeist video game. Of the plethora of horror films that have been milked by the gaming industry, you’d think a (literal) haunted house flick would’ve made the cut.

So, with the Poltergeist film remake prepping to shoot later this year (ugh), the timing couldn’t be better to give fans a video game based on the series. Before you get pick up your torches and pitch forks, calm down — what I’m picturing is something on a smaller scale. Indie, even.

Matthew Cohen’s indie horror game Paranormal is one of the scariest games I’ve ever played. Something like that would translate perfectly to the film franchise, but for it to be successful, the scale needs to be small. A haunted house game with randomized scares and a little bit of that Poltergeist flavor would likely be a hit with fans of the films and the bevy of horror gamers out there who love games like that. You wouldn’t have to mess with the fiction, just scare us with freaky paranormal happenings.

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The Descent as a game would be even more terrifying. Somebody has to make that. That Resident Evil would’ve been so damn good. I really hope they do reboot it after the next movie. Some games that I would love to see are the classic slasher films like Halloween, NOES, F13, and more. I know there have been games in the past, but I’m talking about games made for today. It would be so cool. I wonder why nobody has jumped on that yet. Seems like such an easy thing to do nowadays, what with all these funding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

divisionbell

Oh what I wouldn’t give for a new Friday video game. A slasher survival horror makes so much sense, and one set at an open world summer camp would be perfect. Not to mention the multiplayer possibilities!

weresmurf

Adam:

Aliens Arcade game was a brilliant game, absolutely fantastic. I suggest you crack it out on MAME sometime.

Then if we want to go WAY back, ALIENS on the C64 was actually REALLY good, you’d start off on the dropship, piloting it down through rings to the ground. After that you’d lead 4 soldiers through the reactor to find the survivors etc. Then a maze, then fight the queen with your powerloader! Quite fun!

PSOne had ALIEN TRILOGY, also on the Saturn, a spectacular first person shooter at the time, it had atmosphere coming out its rear end. It came out in 1996, incase you haven’t played it, very atmospheric, very cool. Critics agreed that it really wasn’t anything revolutionary but it was *damned fun*.

The sad fact, I do agree, is it’s a heavily underutilised series. I think that really lay on the fact though they keep trying to hang the games on the movies. They should take the concept of the Alien and run with it. Set a game on a world where the eggs hatch and merge with wildlife forming various strains of aliens ala the original Colonial Marines, imagine shark-like aliens, gorilla like aliens, spider like aliens etc. It’s a franchise that could make for greatness but they keep accepting mediocrity alas

suedepup

I was quite happy how World War Z was structured very much like a video game (action, stealth, puzzle, etc.) When Hollywood makes a movie based on a video game, it often feels forced. (Doom anyone?) Doing the reverse without it being a movie tie-in cash grab would be nice…like they did with The Thing back in the original Xbox days. But I just watched Cold Prey 2. That might work nicely. Probably would feel like Haunting Ground or Siren. A lot of defenseless running away and hiding with few attacks.

djblack1313

suedpup, did you like COLD PREY 2? i F’ing love that movie!! actually both COLD PREY 1 & 2 are two of my favorite horror movies (part 3 is meh…it’s a prequel). did part 2 seem like a faithful remake of Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN 2 to you? it does to me and i mean that in a good way! lol.

suedepup

Yeah, CP2 was very much like Halloween 2. For sure! I did not see Cold Prey 3. Not sure if I want to. And for some reason I gave CP1 a low rating on Netflix. Not sure why. It’s been a while.

djblack1313

Adam, in all due respect, do you really think Romero has/had the chops to make an intense/scary RES EVIL movie? i DO respect Romero and what he’s brought to film (and he seems like THE nicest guy in the world!) but overall i think he’s made more terrible films than good ones. don’t even get me started on SURVIVAL and DIARY. lol.

Taboo

Yeah I like some of his films, but the majority are pretty mediocre. I don’t know if he would be right choice for a RE film, but then again I never got to read the script so idk. I know someone who did and told me he thought it was awful.

Also, was Romero’s script for his RE film ever released? I’d love to read that.

Mr.Skinny

How would a poltergeist game play out? Would the main character be Carol Anne or maybe the Reverend Kane stalking( like slender but only u are slinder) that would be kind of cool I guess.. as far as a Blair Witch game, only if the shaky camera is used. I love to throw up as I play PS3.

Friday the 13th would be the most epic though, like grand theft auto…. but you never die. Just live on to hunt your teenage victims. Bad ass… I tell you… bad ass.

Mr.Skinny

And Grieg, it was released check Script-o-rama.com for the script. If im not mistaken it should still be posted there.

Taboo

Nice post! I think The Descent and Blair Witch would be interesting choices to make into video games, if done right!

Skull-And-Crossbones

The Descent is an awesome choice.
Scream is an interesting choice.
I think Wrong Turn would make a fantastic game. I don’t think we’ve seen a mutated-hillbilly-cannibal game yet.
The Cabin In The Woods would be interesting as well.

Milk

I really only liked the first Resident Evil movie. The rest just seemed to get worse and worse. I totally agree with you on the Aliens video games. I keep buying them and they keep being pretty terrible. I would love to see a Descent video game. That would be super epic and creepy as fuck. I wish this was happening.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=729731770 SixFeetFromTheHeart

Anyone else think that the ending of Insidious would make a great video game? The whole ‘travel to the Further to get your son back’ thing screams a Silent Hill type game.

http://www.facebook.com/gabbi.cordero Gabbi Cordero

i find it telling that while referencing a video game adaptation that’s lost sight of its source material, horror, or quality that this article’s author lost sight of his own theme. as intersting as it was to learn romero’s one-time attachment to the Resident Evil movie, the writer went completely bass ackwards talking about a fantasy film adaptation instead of what the title of this column is even about, films to games…

HalloweenVic

I’m definitely all in for a new slasher game for next gen consoles can u imagine playing Ghostface, Michael, Freddy, Jason,or Leatherface in HD 1072 on your HD tv going around hacking, slashing, stalking, gruesome kills shit even play the victim, battles hell throw them all in ONE BAD ASS ICONIC SCARY VS GAME! With all 5 of them with their own storylines and mash them up all at the end for one epic brawl battle! With online gameplay??? CAN U SAY AMAZINGGGGGGGGGG?!?

HalloweenVic

And Cabin in the woods would make one interesting, mind f*ck of a bad ass game!!